AA    001  191  676    4 

Motherhood 


KEEP  V/ELL  SERIES  No.  8 


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1939 


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TREASURY  DEPARTMENT 
UNITED  STATES  PUBLIC  HEALTH  SERVICE 

1919 


GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 


MOTHERHOOD: 

Safety  and  comfort  can  be  ensured  by 
adequate  health  supervision 


URL       ' 

Motherhood 

"^  "^  <;s 

EACH  year  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  million  babies 
die  in  the  United  States,  a  large  number  of 
which  could  have  been  saved. 
One  hundred  thousand  of  these  babies  die  in 
the  first  month  of  life,  most  of  them  because  of 
conditions  affecting  the  mother  before  baby  was 
born.  By  giving  proper  care  and  attention  to 
mothers  before  the  baby  is  born,  thousands  of 
baby  lives  can  be  saved. 

THOUSANDS  OF  MOTHERS  LOSE  THEIR  LIVES 
NEEDLESSLY 

But  mothers  should  have  better  care  for 
another  important  reason.  In  this  country  at 
least  15,000  mothers  die  in  childbirth  each  year; 
that  is  one  mother  in  every  150  cases  of  child- 
birth. Over  half  of  them  lose  their  lives  from 
preventable  conditions.  What  can  we  do  to  stop 
this  awful  sacrifice? 

SAFEGUARDING   THE   HEALTH   OF   EXPECT- 
ANT MOTHERS 

Every  expectant  mother  should  early  place 
herself  under  the  care  of  a  good  physician  or  a 
well  conducted  obstetrical  charity.  If  the  ex- 
pected bab}'  is  her  first,  the  physical  examination 
which  the  doctor  makes  should  include  measure- 
ments of  the  pelvis.     An  examination  of  the  blood 

126648°— 19  3 


by  means  of  the  Wassennann  test  shows  that 
about  1  mother  in  every  10  should  undergo 
thorough  medical  treatment  in  order  to  insure  a 
healthy  baby.  Repeated  examinations  of  the  urine 
are  essential  for  the  detection  of  conditions 
whose  early  treatment  may  save  the  mother's  life. 

Before  the  baby  is  born  the  mother  should 
safeguard  her  health  in  every  way.  She  should 
be  as  far  as  possible  relieved  of  worry,  have 
plenty  of  fresh  air,  good,  wholesome  food,  and 
sufficient  recreation,  rest,  and  sleep.  The  bowels 
should  move  once  a  day.  Constipation,  which 
is  often  troublesome  during  the  later  months  of 
pregnancy,  should  preferably  be  controlled  by 
regulating  the  diet,  but  if  that  does  not  suffice 
some  simple  laxative  prescribed  by  the  doctor 
should  be  taken.  The  clothing  should  be  loose, 
though  corsets  may  be  worn  during  the  earlier 
months. 

During  the  last  months  of  pregnancy,  the  ex- 
pectant mother  should  see  her  physician  or  send 
him  a  specimen  of  her  urine  every  two  weeks. 
She  m.ust  drink  sufficient  liquid  to  insure  the 
passage  of  at  least  three  pints  of  urine  each  24 
hours.  Persistent  or  sudden  and  severe  head- 
aches, swelling  of  the  face  or  hands,  or  increas- 
ing swelling  of  the  ankles  must  be  reported  at 
once  to  the  physician  in  charge.  The  appear- 
ance of  a  bloody  discharge  also  demands  instant 
summoning  of  the  physician. 

A  number  of  patent  medicines  have  been 
widely  advertised  to  make  childbirth  safe,  easy. 


and  painless.  They  are  all  frauds.  Instead  of 
wasting  money  on  them,  expectant  mothers 
should  seek  a  doctor's  advice. 

THE  GREAT  EVENT 

At  no  time  in  her  life  does  a  woman  require 
better  care  and  attention  than  during  childbirth. 
A  competent  doctor,  or  if  such  is  not  available,  a 
properly  supervised  and  licensed  midwife  should 
attend.  The  patient's  room  should  be  large, 
clean,  and  light,  and  the  necessary  maternity 
outfit  should  be  conveniently  at  hand. 

The  following  lists  represent  useful  outfits; 
List  1 
1  pound  absorbent  cotton. 
1  yard  sterile  gauze. 
1  tube  vaseline. 
1  cake  castile  soap. 

1  flannel  band,  5  inches  wide,  1  yard  long. 
6  bird's-eye  diapers. 

i  dozen  small  safety  pins. 

2  dozen  large  safety  pins. 

1  ounce  powdered  boracic  acid. 

List  2 
1  pound  absorbent  cotton. 
5  yards  sterile  gauze. 
1  envelope  sterile  umbilical  tapes. 
1  dozen  sterile  sanitary  napkins. 
1  tube  vaseline. 
4  ounces  powdered  boracic  acid. 


1  dozen  Lliu's-eye  diapers. 

1  llannoi  band,  5  inches  wide,  1  yard  long. 

1  cake  caslile  soap. 

1  dozen  small  safety  pins. 

2  dozen  large  safety  pins. 

1  new  douche  bag,  2  quarts. 

1  eye  dropper. 

1  douche  pan. 

1  i  yards  rubber  nursery  sheeting. 

AFTER  BABY  COMES 

The  mother  should  rest  in  bed  for  at  least  a 
week  after  baby  is  born  and  for  several  weeks 
more  should  not  do  really  heavy  work.  Various 
forms  of  serious  female  troubles  are  due  to  a 
failure  to  follow  this  advice. 

The  mother's  food  should  be  plentiful,  whole- 
some, and  nutritious,  for,  of  course,  baby  must 
be  nursed  at  the  breast.  The  mother  should 
drink  plenty  of  milk,  but  much  tea  and  coffee 
are  injurious. 

Ahnost  all  mothers  can  breast  feed  their  babies. 

If  the  flow  of  milk  is  scanty  the  mother 
should — 

(rt)   Drink    plenty    of    liquids,    especially 
milk. 

(b)  Not  do  heavy  work. 

(c)  Get  sufTicient  rest  and  sleep. 

(d)  Take  an  outdoor  airing  every  pleasant 

day. 

(e)  Avoid  constipation, 

(/■)   Put  baby  to  nurse  regularly. 


In  order  to  train  the  child  and  to  keep  herself 
well  and  strong,  the  mother  should  systematize 
baby's  dail}^  life,  the  nursing  times,  bath,  sleep 
and  outdoor  periods.  If  the  baby  is  often  fret- 
ful the  mother  should  seek  the  doctor's  advice. 
Under  no  circumstances  should  she  give  sooth- 
ing sirups  or  other  patent  medicines  recom- 
mended by  the  neighbors. 

^  -gs  ^ 

Make  sure  that  your  baby's  birth  has  been 
registered  as  it  should  be.  If  you  are  in  doubt, 
ask  the  health  officer. 


For  helpful  articles  on  baby  care  and  other  important  health 
subjects,  apply  to  your  health  officer  or  write  to  the  United 
States  Public  Health  Service,  Washington,  D.  C. 


Other  Publications  on  Baby  Care 


THE  CARE  OF  THE  BABY 

No.  10  Supplement  to  Public  Health  Reports 

THE  SUMMER  CARE  OF  INFANTS 

No.  16  Supplement  to  Public  Health  Reports 

THE  TRANSMISSION  OF  DISEASE  BY  FLIES 

No.  29  Supplement  to  Public  Health  Reports 

A  HOMEMADE  MILK  REFRIGERATOR 

No.  102  Public  Health  Bulletin 

BREAST  FEEDING  HER  BABY 

No.  9  Keep  Well  Series 

BOTTLE  FEEDING  FOR  BABIES 

No.  10  Keep  Well  Series 


For   copies   of    the   above 

Address    UNITED  STATES  PUBLIC  HEALTH  SERVICE 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


